IUCN: Changing the Climate Forecast

21 October 2009 | News story

Climate change will seriously affect humans, our environment, our health and our security. Rising sea levels, wildfires, floods, droughts and storms will become more common, and up to 30 percent of the planet’s plant and animal species could become extinct. Follow these links on the IUCN website to learn more.

A serious challenge

Climate change is one of the most serious challenges of this century. It is impacting people, animals, plants and natural environments – from the deepest ocean to the highest mountain.

The current rate of greenhouse gas emissions is likely to cause average world temperatures to rise above 2°C – a change which is expected to irreversibly alter all life on Earth.

Climate change will seriously affect humans, our environment, our health and our security. Rising sea levels, wildfires, floods, droughts and storms will become more common, and up to 30 percent of the planet’s plant and animal species could become extinct.

The world has a wide range of possible solutions that will help combat climate change. Protecting and better managing natural resources is not only one of the most cost-effective, it is the one piece of the puzzle that we cannot afford not to do if we are to make the transition to a sustainable low-carbon world in the coming decades.

What is IUCN doing about it?

IUCN’s work puts nature at the centre of climate change solutions. Healthy natural systems are critical for absorbing carbon and helping us adapt to climate change.

Managing forests, peatlands and wetlands can store substantial amounts of carbon as well as conserve biodiversity. People depend on natural resources for food, fuel and drinking water. Managing and conserving these resources can help us adapt to the impacts of climate change we are already facing.

IUCN mobilizes research to measure the impacts climate change is having on biodiversity. IUCN supports and advises governments, organizations and the United Nations to ensure that biodiversity is taken into account for all climate solutions and policies, as well as being used as a solution itself.

IUCN’s field projects around the world improve the management of natural areas such as forests, rivers, mangroves and coral reefs to reduce emissions and help us adapt to climate change.